Comparison of Antimicrobial Activity of Chitosan Nanoparticles against Bacteria and Fungi

Chitosan nanoparticles (CSNPs) have attracted wide interest; however, there has been no substantial information about a direct comparison of the antimicrobial activity of CSNPs on bacteria and fungi. Thus, in this study, simple, economically feasible CSNPs were synthesized and assessed for their antimicrobial activity. This investigation indicated that the coordination inducing effect of CSNPs could dissociate the tryptophan (Trp) and tyrosine (Tyr) residue groups on the peptide chain of the bovine serum albumin (BSA) molecule, thereby increasing the absorption intensity. The growth of E. coli and S. aureus could be completely inhibited when the concentration of CSNPs in the solution was higher than 0.6 mg/mL. The CSNPs showed more potent antibacterial activity against Gram-negative bacteria (E. coli) than against Gram-positive bacteria (S. aureus). In addition, the CSNPs were effective at initiating cellular leakage of fungal mycelia and damping off fungal pathogens, and their antifungal effects were stronger on P. steckii than on A. oryzae. Furthermore, the antimicrobial activity of the CSNPs was found to be more effective against bacteria than against fungi. This study thus ascertained the antimicrobial activity of synthesized CSNPs against different microorganisms, as well as their different degrees of inhibition.